Murder At Mansfield Hall
by Zoyence Abigail
Summary: Mornig my readers! I, John Watson, am about to upload a case that changed both of my friends Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper's life.
1. A Letter To Molly

**Murder At Mansfield Hall**

**Summary: **Morning my readers! Today I, John Watson, am about to upload case that changed both my friend Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hoper's life. The case came to us right after Sherlock exhilaration was canceled because of James Moriaty's return from the dead. My friend, who was busy investigating his nemesis's return, was also consulting cases on the side. And one evening just like that, the case appeared in our door step. It sort of started like this…

**Greener: **Crime &amp; Romance. **Characters: **[Sherlock Holmes X Molly Hoper] John

**Rated: **T. Watson, OC.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sherlock but I do own Murder At Mansfield Hall. Al though the summery was written on John' POV there will not any actual POVs in the story.

* * *

**Chapter-1: A Letter to Molly_**

My Dear Molly,

It has been too long since I have answered any of you letters properly and I had my reasons which I made clear to you right before I left. But I still fill like I should apologies to you sincerely. I would like you to know I have got all the letters you have send me at my home. Though I was not there in last five years my sister made sure I got them at wherever I was since she was the only one who had any short of updates on me.

I must say I am impressed to see how much successful life you have obtained. I am also glad that you have finally moved on from what we had though I couldn't. Still I am proud of you.

After I read your letters, I struggled to not write you back because whenever I try to write I simple end up explaining my situation. You do that me Molly, you make me tell, write stuff to you that I don't share with anyone. And I sure do not want you know the things I have been doing seines I left England.

And that reminds me of the reason to why I'm writing to you all of a sudden.

Have you heard that Billy Chambers has hung himself to death? Apparently he could not take the tortures teasing of his fellow sail mates for being a teenage serial killer.

Peter had sent me the news vie my sister, in case you are wandering. He had also said that Billy had written a suicide note where he for the first and last time in his life has motioned that he was not a killer.

When I found about this I was struck with guilt. The guilt of that maybe I'm done a mistake of deducing Billy as the killer. But there were proves like, Billy would aloes despair at the same time one victim had and few hours letter we would find the dead victim. One night I had seen with my own eyes Billy following Kitty in the woods and the next morning she was found dead inside the woods. And each one of the victims had their shares of arguments with Billy. Beside Billy grew up in family of abusing.

Now it may sound like I am justifying myself but I am not. I just want to what really happened in those three days of our life. And that's where you came in.

In your letters you have said that you are wall acquainted with Sherlock Holmes. I have heard of him before whenever I was in London (Do not fill upset that I did not came to see you, I did not had that much time) and I would really like it if investigate this case.

Molly, do not think that I am using you as a mean to get in touch with Sherlock Holmes. Because I am not, I promise I have changed for the better.

You do not have to right me back or anything. I am coming to London and this time for a long time. And the first thing I shall when I reach there is to meet you.

I hope you are well.

Your well wisher

Conner Radford.

* * *

Molly folded the letter back and put it in her handbag and walked out of her apartment. She started to walk towards the tube station for work in an uncomfortable numbness.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi! This is my new story. This will be a very slow update. So bear with it.

Do live reviews and follow and add to your fav.

Thanks for reading!


	2. The Cold Case

It was almost afternoon and Molly was busy doing her fourth autopsy of the day. She was tired mentally and just wanted to go home. She wanted to lie on her bed and wallow herself in the past. And she certainly was not ready for the no-other than Sherlock Holmes, who just barge in the room like own the place and…

"Molly, I want…" he suddenly stopped and stared at her, of course deducing her. Molly tried not to squirm under his intense gaze. John also noticed his friend's gaze but did not say anything except praying inwardly that he, Sherlock would not say something to hurt the pathologist.

The pathologist on the other hand was ready to do almost anything to move Sherlock's attention from her, "Sherlock! John!" she greeted them then turns her full attention to John who was still glancing at his friend staring at Molly.

"How is baby Sheryl Watson?" that was the name of John and Marry Watson's five months Daughter. Sherlock first instead then forcefully demanded them to name her after him but when they still didn't budge; he had secretly changed the baby's name in the birth certificate. Not that the parents couldn't change it, they just simple gave up and made him the namesake.

"Oh she's fine." John grinned at the thought of her, "Marry just dropped her with Mrs. Hudson. I think this Saturday you will be the one taking care of her."

"I'll be gla…" "Something is deferent about you today, Molly!" Sherlock pointed his finger at her cutting her of.

"Hnh? How so?" she knew that he would figure her out as soon as he entered the room but she was not ready for what he was to say.

"You are distracted. Normally you finish your fifth autopsy by now but today, there is only two hour left before your sift is over and you just started the fourth." He paused while John looked at both them and Molly looked down in the tiled floor suddenly finding it very interesting, "This morning you have received something from an old friend of yours or could be an ex-boyfriend. Whatever he has send has thrown you in a world of doubts. I believe the person has sent you a letter and it has been send after a long time, probably years later. And the letters does not only carry doubts on your part also a bad news."

"How…How?"

"Oh please Molly!" he scoffed like was talking to an imbecile, "You aloes keep your handbag in the locker but today you bought it with you in the autopsy room. You keep stilling glances at it like it will disappear if you move your eyes from it. And the bag doesn't look heavy so the thing does not wait much so it has to be something in paper. Now what could be written in the paper? It's not a new thesis of your because you write them on your laptop. Then what could it be? It could be any report or a latter of promotion or application, anything. However, if it was any short of official letter you would have already told Marry thus I would have been know what it was about by now. So it's a personal letter and you don't have any relative alive to write you a letter, they simply text or emails you, so this has to be friend who has to be somewhere, from where he or she cannot get network. So the letter. I know you since University and you don't have any friend from there that lives in a place like that and when I first met you told me that you had only one friend who was girl others were boys. You also said she died so this has to be a boy and he must have been your first boyfriend. That is why, only letter from him has unsettled you so much as well as he has upset you with some short bad new and created a seed of doubt in your mind." He mused, "Come along John." He walked to the door.

_He remembered about my friend!_ Her eyes went wide as she found herself saying, "Sherlock wait!" and he hold onto the doorknob, "Could I…Could I meet you this evening, Sherlock?" she heisted because it felt like she was asking him on a date which she wasn't. Sherlock of course raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing; she took that as a cue to say next, "I might have a case for you. It's nothing much but cold case. Well it was already solved; I just wanted your opinion…I'll completely understand if don't take it and why would it was…."

"Molly, be at Baker Street around five this evening." And they were gone.

* * *

"Why did you tell her to come?" John asked as soon as they got out of the St. Burts building, "You are surely not planning to take the case, are you?"

"I would like to hear the case first John." Sherlock howled taxi and they both got in.

"But she said it was solved. What's there solve more?"

"Clearly something that haven't gave her peace for the last ten years since high school." He kept looking outside as he said those wards. There was an odd emotion on his voice that John was taken aback.

"How would you know that?" John curiously asked.

"Do not be so ignorant John." John rolled his eyes, "I studied the same universe with her. When I first met her, she was aloes sad until she made friends. She once involuntarily said to me that during her high school year something happened and few classmates of her died with her own best friend. She was luck to be alive."

"And you never deleted all this from your mind palace." John raised his eyebrow, amused by hearing that the man who deliberately forgot about solar system would remember such thing about Molly Hooper.

"Oh! Don't look so amused John. I simple ignored her clue back then, if I didn't I would have solved whatever the case she is about to bring."

"You are noticing her now?"

"That sentence does not make any sense. Do follow up with what I say. I did not say I ignored her…" he suddenly stopped as the taxi also had stopped in front of his house, "Do not fool around John and come inside." They both got out of the taxi and went inside the house while Sherlock was scrawling and John smirking.

* * *

Molly dashed out of the room as soon as Sherlock and John left. She hurriedly looked around the white corridor to make sure that they both were gone; she then walked towards her boss's office.

Mike Stamford, her boss looked up when she got in, "Dr. Hooper, is your duty over?"

"No I still have two hours left. I just wanted from you." She hesitated looking at him.

"O! What could it be, Dr. Hooper?" he asked.

"I was wandering if you could get me an autopsy report from ten years ago?"

"Is it wanted for some a new case?" she shook her head, "Then do you need it for personal reasons? And you have to be praises about the case."

"It is. And the case was about few high school being murdered." She breathed out.

"Ah…The Mansfield one." He raised his eyebrows, she nodded. "All right I'll see if the case file is here if it isn't you could ask DI Leistered for it. By the way I cannot let you take it home." And she walked out.

* * *

Her work was done for the day and she was putting the paperwork inside the drawer when Mike Stamford came inside her small office, "Molly! How lucky you are!" he looked happily t her, "I found the file." He handed it to her. In truth she didn't fill lucky, she already knew the file will be at the Burts since they bodies were taken here. She took the file with shaking hand, "Now Molly, remember that you can't take it home so please see it quickly."

_All right this the moment of truth!_ Molly slowly opened the file and read the file thoroughly. Her eyes went wide as she read along and gasped for breath.

"Molly, are you Ok?" Stamford asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I need to go. Don't worry I'm ok." She gave him back the file and ran of the building living a confused boss behind. She quickly got inside a taxi not bothering with the tube and ordered "221 Baker Street."

When Molly came inside Sherlock's flat she found Sherlock and John seating on their favorite place while Marry was seating on a chair.

"Molly you wouldn't mind if John and Marry seat with us?" she nodded as Sherlock gathered his hands under his chin, "Then there is no time in wasting so you shall begin."

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**A/N:** Ok this chapter came out boring but I promise next chapter will all about the case.

Please live review, follow and add to favorit.


	3. Day 1

**Bedgebury Forest, Kent**

**8****th**** July, 2000**

**6:30 AM**

Two cars stopped in front of the forest. The passenger hurriedly climbed down the cars and looked ahead of them, at the Bedgebury Forest.

'I can't believe Billy's dad had made a house out here. Hey Molly, what was the name of the house was again?' tall-blond hair- brown eye, teenage girl's American accent thick loud voice disturbed the quiet place.

'Mansfield Hall and you should tone down a little, Cathy' the short and mousy teenage girl with cute fetcher replied while fixing her messy heir, 'It's too early for the birds to be scared away by your voice.'

'All right…Jeez!' Cathy put up her hand up in defeat and looked around the place near the forest for the said mansion. While the others were busy getting the luggage out of the cars. She looked at the tall mussels budging teenager boy with black hair and blue eyes, digging out the food container, 'Oi Billy! Where is that house of yours? Here I only see forest and forest.'

'It's not here. We have to walk from here and there will be a river. We will cross it and we reach our destination.' Billy walked beside the forest and all followed him. Cathy frowned but said nothing.

'Cathy, be nice. This is the first time Billy is doing something for us.' Molly nudged her best friend and grinned.

'Yea and that's really fishy.' Cathy frowned more than scrutinized Molly for few seconds, 'Are you going to break up with Conner tonight?'

Molly stumbled, 'What…?' Cathy narrowed her eyes, 'Oh…Please tell me you are not planning to be with him. You know that he doesn't really care about you; all he is doing is using you.'

'Yes…I understand but I thought it will be better if I don't do it tonight. Oh…don't look at me like that. I'll do it before we live Kent, I promise.'

Unknown to them someone was watching them.

* * *

**7:00 AM**

Molly locked at the group ahead of her. The group was of eight, including her. Her friends, Cathy Heywood, Billy Chambers, Lisa Gupta, Nick Brown, Eli Show, Karim Assad and her boy no soon to be ex boyfriend Conner Radford.

This was the last year of their high school after that they were all going to different collage to study different subjects. And she would really miss them, well maybe not Cathy since she was also going to the University as her. Then her eyes landed on Conner, who also sensed some one watching him looked behind him. Seeing her he grinned mischievously and looked away. Molly sighed, it was going to be really hard to break up with school's most handsome boy, who for god knew why had chosen Molly, the mousy girl who maybe was cute but not a beauty to be hold. She still couldn't figure out why she was his girlfriend. He was charming, good looking and cool yet a shameless pervert, a born manipulator and a heartless prankster. How did she have survived him for the past two years?

'Alright we have reached the pool bridge. I want everyone to be careful. The bridge is made of ropes and woods.' Billy said and walked on the bridge, telling everyone to cross one by one with the luggage. Everyone followed the suit but the accident still happened.

It was Lisa who was crossing at that moment and Nick was standing at the end, he was the last one to cross. Lisa was terrified by the current of the river below her. She was moving with caution and hold onto the rope with her dear life. Behind her Nick smirked at Conner that went unnoticed by everyone.

Molly and Cathy were resting under a tree and were chatting when they heard the piercing scream of Lisa. They looked at the bridge only to find that it was shaking violently. Lisa was screaming as if her life depended on it while all the boys told her to calm down and look strait, not below where she was looking. Conner and Nick were laughing while doing so and kept shaking the ropes from both side.

'Guy, stop it!' Cathy and Molly shouted and dashed for the bridge. Molly quickly pushed Conner back and pleaded Lisa to look at them. Lisa stopped screaming and sobbed violently. She closed her eyes and did what Molly told her. She moved forward when she was at the end of the bridge; Billy and Eli moved forward and grabbed her and dragged her to them.

Molly turned to Conner who was still shocked at the fact that Molly did in fact have pushed him back. When she looked at him he was about say something to show how angry he was but was cut off when Molly shouted, 'What the hell is wrong with you? She could have fallen off, you idiot.' She pointed at the still sobbing girl in Eli's arm.

'Molly, I…Babe…'

'Don't you dare babe me…I've enough of you. Get your act strait Radford or.' She walked away mumbling, 'Can't believe Cathy was right – he is a jerk.'

Living the awe stuck group behind who had never seen this side of her towards the visible mansion, she turned her head 'Coming or what?!'

* * *

**8:30 PM**

The fire burn in the dark night creating a very warm envier meant. However, the group's mood was still down by the morning's incident.

Molly, Cathy and Lisa were sitting by the fire place not saying a ward. Billy was on a leather chair cleaning his hunter knife. Conner and Nick were sitting on one of the couch looking at the girls. Eli was reading a book. While Karim drank his last drop of coffee.

'You know we are here for fun, not to brood around, right?' Eli turned a page.

'Do you know what sort fun we should have?' Cathy shot back.

'Actually I do.' Eli smirked, 'how about we all play the cliché game of truth or dare. Huh?'

Everyone nodded.

* * *

**9:48 PM**

'Dare!' Karim yelled at Nick, 'I choose dare. I've had enough of your stupid questions. I'll do dare.'

'As you wish.' Nick and Conner shared a look and grinned, 'I dare to go to the upstairs and get inside the room at the corner - you know the room where, as Billy told us, his aunty committed suicide years ago, the hunted room.' He specified.

'You…want me to go there.' Karim gulped, and looked at his friends for help. Molly was about to detest the idea of sending him there but Cathy nudged her saying it will okay. Karim was big boy now; he can take care of himself.

'And you have to stay there the whole night.' Nick laughed at Karim's timid face, 'Ok come on! Be a Man! You will be just fine. We will see you on the morning'

'Now off you go.'

* * *

**9****th**** July, 2000**

**6:30 AM**

'Lisa can you be dear and call Karim down for brake his fast…' Conner sipped in his hot tea.

Lisa darted for upstairs when the other came inside the kitchen.

'Who set her tail on fire?' Nick asked standing beside Conner.

'Oh… I send her to bring Karim do…' Conner was cut off when a piercing scream stopped them from breathing and Molly's cup fell on the ground from her hand.

* * *

**A/N: **Well I finished the 3rd chapter. I know it may not be good. But I still wrote it.

I'm sorry for updating so late. However between school and tuitions and projects I've little time to even touch the computer.

To tell you the truth, I'm a little uninspired about this story. When I first started this, it was just the spar of the moment thing. Though I did thought if I had enough readers I might be able to finish it. But it feels like I won't have that.

Then there is the problem with not having a beta. I seriously need one. I've been sending request to everyone and no one replied to me. Sooo If anyone interested to beta read this story please, I repeat please send me a PM and I'll be really grateful to that person.

Please send me reviews. And follow and add to favorite, if you like to.


	4. Day 2

**Bedgebury Forest, Kent**

**9****th**** July, 2000**

**6:31 AM**

They rushed up the stairs as fast as they could to reach the room from where the scream came from. Their heart throbbing with fear of what had happened for someone let out such painful cry. And when they reached the door of the said room they found their friend Lisa passed out on the floor by the door. The room was not dark, it was lit by the sunlight and it created very dangerous atmosphere from where they could see it.

Molly and Cathy rushed to Lisa's side who must have had a bad fall because there was a purple bruise on her forehead. The boys quickly entered the room to know reason of their friend's sudden state and were frozen on their spot.

"Conner, what's the matter?" Molly was the first one to speak among them, "Come help get Lisa to somewhere comfortable. And where is Karim?" Conner didn't answered instead he turned his face towards her with a blank gaze that send a shivering feeling to both Molly and Cathy.

Molly and Cathy shared a look and stood up from the floor. They both slowly entered the room only to find the lifeless body of their friend hanging from the selling with rope tied around his neck. His hands were tied behind him, his eyes were closed but his mouth was open for the last moment of agony and his tongue was fully out of his mouth and a page on his shirt pocket.

Cathy who was the strongest person Molly had known left the room hastily and they soon heard the sound of vomiting. Molly was too stunned to help any of her disheveled friends due to the shock. Her body was not moving and her mind was not moving but she could hear everything that was going around her.

Eli once attempted to touch the body but Conner stopped him saying that it was the police's job to do so and not them. Billy silently left the room and Nick who was always brave and mischief had pushed himself on the wall of the opposite side of the room and was wailing like a child.

* * *

**6:52 AM**

The tea cup was put down on the table quietly. The room was pin drop silent. They were subtly glancing at the stairs where the body of their friend was still hanging. Outside no birds or animal were calling as if they also knew what had happened inside the house and were scared come near here.

"We should call the police now." Eli said, the tea had calmed his nerve down enough.

"We can't." Billy answered looking down on the table. "There is no phone line here. The phone network doesn't reach here. We have to go to the nearest village to call the police and the village five miles away."

"Are kidding me?" Eli stood up, chair he was seating fell on the wood floor "You tricked us to come here. You never told us there was no way of communicating. How are we supposed to call the authority and inform them that someone had committed a suicide?"

"What are you talking about? Karim has not killed himself, he was murdered." Lisa shouted as well.

"Yes…His hands were tied behind him and there was no tool and high object on floor around the body to help his hung himself on the selling. Someone hung him there." Molly added.

"Let's go!" Conner cut in. they all looked at him only to find him wearing coat and hat, "If we go now we might reach the village by the noon and police will be able to come here by tomorrow morning."

They nodded and quickly gathered their needed things and left the house talking one last glance at the stairs of that room.

* * *

**7:00 AM**

Molly was not a superstitious person by nature but right now she wanted know whose face she had seen first when she had woken up, so she could beat the person for giving her such bad luck.

Currently the group was standing in front of the pull bridge they had crossed yesterday morning. That time the bridge was still intact but right now it was cut down from the other side. They had no way of going to the other side of the river where their car was parked.

Lisa was hysteric while a wide eyes Nick was kicking a tree nearby frantically. He was cursing everything and everyone he could find in his mind. Conner who was pacing on the ground once burked at him o shut up but it was in vain. Suddenly Nick stopped kicking at turned towards his friend with look that scared them.

"That's it!" he cried out. "I'm not staying anymore. I'll go there and I'll find a way to go back home." he pointed vaguely at somewhere and ran off. His friend kept calling him and Conner and Eli ran after him but once entering the forest they lost sight of him and came back.

"Huh! He calls himself a prank stare and yet he ran off like coward." Billy snorted. Conner quickly pulled his and glared at him but knew it was true.

* * *

**2:39 PM**

"That's it!" Eli stood up, "I'm going to find Nick. It has been a long time, he could be lost and wrost of all he could be killed by the murderer."

"Eli it's not safe to go outside alone." Cathy replied, "You said for yourself that there is murderer looming around."

"It doesn't matter." Eli said and took out a torch, "If I don't come back in two hours don't start looking for me." And he left.

Conner watched the whole scene from the stairs. He was also worried about Nick but he was not that brave to go after him like Eli. Suddenly in his peripheral vision he saw Billy coming inside the house from the back door. _Wired,_ he thought Billy was in his room so when did he go out. He was just about ask Billy that he was interrupted again by the cry of Lisa, again.

The four remaining house member rushed to the kitchen from where the cry came and found the poor soul laying it the floor clutching her thought and gagging herself. She was struggling to breathe and her lips were blue and an unfamiliar tea cup broken beside her.

Molly and Cathy tried hold her but her body was shaking tremendously and soon it became life less.

* * *

**4:00 PM**

Cathy and Molly kept looking at the door expecting Eli to come back any moment now. Billy and Conner were pacing on the floor. After they had found Lisa's body, they both had asked the girls by any chance if Eli was the murderer because he had left just right before Lisa was killed. The girls denied it since he was long gone when the Lisa died.

"Perhaps he had poisoned the tea before he went out and left before Lisa had drank the tea." The boys had said. That was the end of the conversation.

"We are out of woods for fire." Billy informed them broodingly, "I'll get some. I saw few broken brunch near the bridge I hope they will burn."

"You stay, I'll go." Cathy stood up she turned to them, "What? Don't look at me like that. In America I used to go the camps where I was thought how to find the fire woods."

* * *

**4:30 PM**

Billy, Molly and Conner were again running down the same road witch lead to the bridge. Few minutes ago they had heard Cathy cry for help from there and were following the source.

They reached the bridge. Molly for the first time today cried after seeing the site in front of them.

Both Cathy and Nick were hanging from the bridge's rope. Their body was sprouted on the air and like Karim a rope was tied around their neck.

"It was Eli! I'm telling you it was Eli!" Billy said those wards like mantra and kept running towards the house Canner and Molly in his tow.

* * *

**10th**** July, 2000**

**5:30 AM**

They hadn't eaten all day nor had they slept last night. All they had done was waiting for the perpetrator to show up and take them to their death bed. But neither the killer nor Eli had showed up. Once Molly had thought that maybe he was also killed however Conner and Billy didn't believe that.

The sound of siren startled them. They stood up and quickly dashed to the front porch and for the first time sighed in relief to find a large group of police coming towards them by foot.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for updating so late. I was busy with the festivals then the exams that I had no time to update. I know the chapter might be too short but I think dragging it would have ruined the real plot.

Though I've a question for the readers, who do you think the real killer is between Billy and Eli?

Live review and follow and add to favorite if you like the story.

AND CAN SOMEONE PLESE FIND ME A BETA!


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